1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for automatically calculating the charge for a plurality of dishes selected by customers in cafeterias, restaurants etc. using a data carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
In self-service cafeterias such as in-company cafeterias, etc. customers are often charged collectively by a customer carrying selected dishes and drinks on a tray along a predetermined course. As a conventional system for efficiently charging in cafeterias like these, an information processing system for cafeterias (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 60-124779 and 60-124780) is publicly known.
In this information processing system for cafeterias, the shape of a tray and tableware are recognized by photographing dishes and drinks placed on a tray and processing acquired images. The kind of dishes and drinks is judged and charged according to the size of tray, size of tableware, marks attached to the bottom of tableware, etc.
However, since when charging is made according to the size of tableware, all dishes and drinks placed in the same tableware are charged the same, and one piece of tableware cannot be used for dishes or drinks of different prices. Even if different marks on the bottom of tableware are used for a plurality of dishes, prices cannot be flexibly set depending on the volume of a dish or drink. Furthermore, if two or more pieces of tableware are placed overlapping on a tray, the shape of the tableware cannot be accurately recognized.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a charging system and method for flexibly setting the prices of many kinds of dishes and drinks provided in a cafeteria, etc. and easily calculating the charge for the dishes and drinks selected by a customer.
The charging system of the present invention comprises a writing unit, a reading unit and a calculating unit, and automatically calculates the charge for the dishes and drinks selected by a customer.
The writing unit writes data in a data carrier attached to tableware, the reading unit reads data from the data carriers of one or more dishes and drinks selected by a customer in a non-contact state. The calculating unit calculates and displays the charge for the above-mentioned one or more dishes using the read data.
For a data carrier, for example, a device for storing data using an electronic element and communicating data with a reader/writer in a non-contact state is used. This data carrier is attached to the bottom of a container (an item of tableware), etc.
The writing unit, for example, including a reader/writer, writes data on the kind, price, etc. of dishes and drinks in the data carrier in a non-contact state. A customer selects favorite dishes and drinks, places the dishes and drinks in their containers on a tray, and carries the tray to the reading unit. The reading unit, for example, including a reader/writer, reads data in a non-contact state from the data carrier of each of containers presented.
The calculating unit calculates and displays the total price of all selected dishes and drinks using the read data such as kind, price, etc. The customer can pay for the displayed charge in an arbitrary method such as in cash, with a pre-paid card, etc.